Trust Me, I'm Clear
by unfoldingbliss
Summary: For what seemed like the first time in his life, Roy was rendered speechless, his eyes glued to the sight of their hands squished together [Roy/Eduardo drabbles].
1. Diner 'Date'

"Admit it," Roy's nose flared as his 'friend's' words dripped with smug joviality, a tone that was becoming more and more common by the day, "You _liked_ it."

"And how many times do I have to get through your skull that I. Did. _Not_," Roy replied, taking a loud, drawn-out sip of the diner's coffee. Watery with too much cream, but it would suffice for the time being. It would at least help Roy cope with the approaching headache that would assuredly come the longer he stood in Eduardo's company.

"C'mon, the girls obviously enjoyed it," Eduardo countered, "Even Wonder Girl seemed to be into it. Didn't you - "

"She kissed me on the cheek _once_," he clenched his fists, afraid he might do something stupid. _Again_, "And no, nothing ever happened after that because she decided she preferred an uppity twit over a boy with issues. I don't see how this is supposed to help our situation, regardless."

"And I keep saying there's no situation to discuss," while his voice sounded nonchalant, it hinted at a weary anger that Roy was accustomed to whenever they spoke of the issue at hand. He hadn't point it out yet. It might become leverage later on, "We just tell them it was nothing and move on with our lives."

"I highly doubt we can tell them it was nothing when you deliberately jumped into my arms and I kissed you on sight," oh yeah, the headache was here, the memory of last Thursday night flashing over his eyes. The adrenaline from defeating the remnants of the Injustice League mixed with the relief that his best friend was alive and well…

_"Arsenal! Ese, we did it!" Eduardo exclaimed, the distance between them closed with a quick teleportation. A moment later and the boy's arms and legs were strapped onto Roy's shoulders and waist. The immediate weight caused Roy to stagger and fall to the floor, Eduardo's laughter ringing in his ears. It was intoxicating, the sound of his voice and the feel of Ed's body against his. For a second more, Roy kept frozen, warmth rushing into his cheeks and pooling over his stomach. Every part of his body screamed for him to do something, to push away his friend and control the urges building up inside._

_He didn't listen. Instead, he grabbed Eduardo by his scarf and gruffly pressed his lips onto his, enjoying the brief shock swarming over the other boy before he gave in and leaned into the kiss. It tasted like grimy salt and dirt, but that was besides the point. They had won and Roy would be damned if he didn't get his reward. _

_"Holy shit, when did you two get together?" Tye yelled from the other side of the grassy field, his astonishment apparent from one hundred yards away. _

_And just like that they were off each other, acting as if they had caught the Bubonic Plague. It was too late, however. All the boys were staring wide-eye and most of the girls were giggling. Only Asami seemed to be unfazed, shrugging and mumbling something that sounded like, "About time."_

Since then, the others would _not_ shut up about it. Tye kept texting one or the other every hour or so, asking them when and how and why. Jade called Roy up to offer "advice" and Virgil continued to post pictures of couples kissing on their facebook walls. It got to the point where Roy and Eduardo needed to sit down and talk about it, something neither really wanted to do.

"So we got caught up in the heat of the moment," Eduardo said in-between bites of ham and eggs, "It probably won't happen again."

"Probably isn't good enough for their stupid little team," Roy sighed, crossing his arms, "You know that."

"Why isn't probably good enough?" his friend quirked a brow, eyes flickering curiously, "If I remember correctly, _you're_ the one who kissed me."

"You practically latched onto me like a leech and kissed me back!" Roy hissed, "I hardly see how this is all my fault."

"Is that what you think I am? A leech?" Eduardo asked coolly, "Never suspected you thought so little of me, Harper."

That was new. He hadn't called him Harper in awhile, "You know that's not what I meant."

"Then what do you think of me?" Eduardo pushed his plate to the middle of the table, his eyes still locked onto Roy's, "Because if you believe you can just brush off that you kissed me in front of everyone we know and act like it never happened, you're terribly mistaken."

"What…what's that supposed to mean?" Roy's throat tightened at the young man's words, his heartbeat quickening the longer Ed's stare held. He wasn't really…he didn't want…

"Exactly what it's supposed to mean," Eduardo stood up from his seat, slamming a twenty dollar bill onto the table. Two swift steps later and Roy found Ed's hand wrapped around his, jerking him forward, "If you want me, you're going to act like it. And if you don't, you can stay the hell away from me until you can be a better friend."

They walked out of the diner with hands still held, Eduardo leading him back to Roy's one-bedroom apartment. For what seemed like the first time in his life, Roy was rendered speechless, his eyes glued to the sight of their hands squished together. Was this what he wanted with Ed? A hand to hold, a room to share?

_Well, I'm about to find out, aren't I?_ Roy thought as he continued to gape, the satisfied smile lingering on Ed's lips going unnoticed.


	2. Wait

Their "date," as Roy had begrudgingly called it through Ed's tireless persistence, was going nowhere.

It was the first one ("_and the only one until further notice_," Roy had been quite adamant at reiterating every few minutes or so) and already things were turning sour. There really wasn't anywhere to go in Taos, save a few of the historical museums, the movies, or the local ice cream parlor. Eduardo was kind of in the mood to watch the new thriller that came out last weekend, but assumed his friend would get skittish and paranoid the moment they set foot inside the theater. And the ice cream parlor was _absolutely_ out of the question. Even he was a little weirded out by the thought of sharing a chocolate parfait with the boy walking ten feet in front of him.

_Oh yeah_, Eduardo narrowed his eyes at the stalking figure, taking in his tense shoulders and stiff walk, _Forgot about that._ _Won't even look at me, the cabron_.

He was starting to second guess himself now. It only seemed logical that they would test drive a potential relationship, after Roy blurted out his affections the last time he had been here. Eduardo was harboring similar feelings, but it took him a while to realize that yeah, he may want to do something about it. So, as soon as Roy came back to Taso to 'recharge,' he insisted they go on a date and explore whatever was stirring between them (if anything was really going on at all).

"Hey, asshole," Eduardo called from behind Roy, earning him a faint grunt of acknowledgement, "This isn't what I had in mind when you agreed to go on a -"

"I swear to God, you say that word again..." Roy trailed, his hands bunching up in the folds of his sweaters.

"You'll what? Punch me in the face?" Eduardo cocked an eyebrow, an unfriendly smirk crossing his lips, "Better than what you're doing right now. I'm sure this is how most of these things go anyway. One guy is sulking and the other is questioning what he ever saw in him in the first place."

Roy turned his head and narrowed his eyes, though he didn't continue the 'discussion' any further. Instead, he took a deep breath and picked up his pace, mumbling words Eduardo was unable to catch.

_Oh that's it,_ he didn't care if they were outside. Taos was practically deserted at eight pm and they were on one of the unused, dirt roads as is. Eduardo may be having the same fears and insecurities bubbling in his chest, but he would be damned if he didn't at least give this thing a chance.

Unwrapping the scarf around his neck, he concentrated his efforts on predicting where Roy would be in the next few seconds. He shut his eyes and a moment later, a flash of gold light enveloped him, transporting and dropping him right in front of his friend.

"Wha - " Roy sputtered out as soon as the smaller boy appeared before him. However, he was unable to get anything coherent out, Eduardo quickly covering his bare neck with the scarf and pulling him inches towards his face.

"Listen here, _chico_," Eduardo whispered, enjoying the look of complete shock clouding over Roy's eyes, "Whether you're into this or not, you agreed to go on a date with me. This is a test run; it has no hold over the rest of our lives or our current relationship. If it works out, it works out. And if it doesn't, it doesn't. But, you said you liked me and for some stupid reason, I like you too. Now, are you going to act like it? Or am I just going to have to kiss you to find out how you _really_ feel?"

For what was beginning to become a common occurrence, Roy's cheeks flushed crimson and his eyes darted towards the ground. Eduardo knew he was pushing it; Roy could clock him at any given second and leave their friendship at that. And yet...the other boy stood still, making no move to shrug off the scarf keeping him close.

"I...fine," Roy nodded, unexpectedly shifting a little closer to Eduardo, a sheepish grin tugging at the corners of his lips, "But can we save the..._kissing_ until after the end of the date at least?"

Eduardo chuckled, deciding it best not to egg him on with a scrunched up kissy face. Still, it would be really tempting... "Sure thing, _vaquero_. Now, where do you want to go?"

Roy unhooked the scarf around his neck and threw it back over Eduardo's, tentatively brushing his fingers across his arm, "How about the park near the labs? I wouldn't mind just talking to you on a bench there..."

"Alright," Eduardo replied, letting him take the lead, somewhat regretting he didn't yet possess the courage to grab a hold of the other boy's hand.

It would take a little more time to get used to the idea of dating Roy Harper (if they even made it through the night), but Eduardo didn't mind the wait.


	3. Late Night Call

_I just heard a scream and Asami ran past the room cackling and holding a katana. Should I be concerned?_

Roy looked at the text message lighting up his screen, wondering if it was even worth the time to respond.

_Could just be some kind of joke_, he considered, but then again, Ed wasn't one to make prank texts or calls involving, well, screams and katanas.

Leaning against the grimy alleyway wall, Roy hit the reply button and started texting back:

_Depends on who was screaming. If it was Tye, you should let them be. Might be some kind of roleplay_.

He hit the send button and pushed the phone back into his waist pocket. A sigh soon escaped him, second guessing his decision to decline Tye's invitation to sleepover at his house tonight. Not like he had any jobs to keep him busy, and the current city he was in seemed pretty dead on crime tonight. Plus, he didn't think he could handle another intervention from his clone if he decided to head over to his apartment. And that baby…the sight of it always left a bitter taste in his mouth.

His phone vibrated against his clothes and Roy would have let it stay there for awhile had it only vibrated once. However, the vibrations continued, indicating that someone was, in fact, _calling_ him. The situation must have worsened if Ed went with that option. He usually wasn't one for phone calls.

Taking another deep sigh, Roy pulled his phone out and hit the answer button, "This better be good, Ed."

"Oh please, Harper. I bet your little stake-out is as quiet as a graveyard shift," Ed scoffed from the other side, "And besides, you were totally right. I think this might be some kind of roleplay thing going on. Which is really weird - where did she even get that katana?"

"Maybe at some cheap antique store," Roy replied, averting the fact that Ed was right. His phone call might be the most thrilling thing he had experienced for the last couple of days. "But why are they doing that when you're there? Shouldn't you guys all be hanging out in the living room or something?"

"We were, but I went to go get some snacks from the liquor store down the road," Eduardo said, "You know, teleportation and all makes it easier. But then when I got back to the house, I heard a scream and from the window, I see Sam laughing with the katana. So…I decided to not interfere."

"Wait," Roy blinked, "You mean to tell me you still haven't gone inside? You know that could potentially be a very costly mistake on your part. I know Tye's mom and your dad told them no funny business, but when have they ever listened?"

"I know, it's just - ugh!" Eduardo growled, his voice growing weary, "Look, I would go inside, but I just don't want to see something I shouldn't…or don't really want to. So, I was wondering…could you come over and keep me company until whatever is going inside calms down?"

Roy paused before answering, flipping through the options in his head. He could say no and maybe start a fight between someone who was slowly becoming one of his best friends. Or he could say yes and produce a little excitement for his ever stressful nightlife.

"Fine," Roy replied, "But it doesn't mean I'm staying the night. Just until everything is settled down."

Eduardo chuckled from the other line, and for some reason, Roy's heart tightened at the sound, "Sure thing, _amigo_. See you soon."

The line soon went dead as Roy started to make his way towards the Zeta Tubes downtown.


	4. Swimming Lessons

"Uh...guys?" Eduardo stood at the edge of the dock, eyes focused on the deep blue water beneath him, "There's something I've been forgetting to tell you..."

"What, you gain X-Ray vision or something?" Virgil suggested, wagging his eyebrows while he floated on top of the water, "Because if that's the case, spy away, dude! I have nothing to be ashamed of!"

"Hey, cut it out, Virgil," Tye elbowed his friend in the ribs, "Look at him. He's being serious."

"Something wrong, Ed-kun?" Asami asked, paddling closer to the boy, "Tell us. We are friends."

"Yeah, can't be all that bad," Roy said from behind him. He, too, had yet to get into the water, afraid it might do damage to his cybernetic arm, "I mean, do you see the company you're keeping?"

"Don't remind me," Eduardo playfully scoffed, tilting his head to get a better look at the older boy. It wasn't often he saw Harper in anything but his usual mission attire. His domino mask was tucked away in the backpack on the beach, clear blue eyes staring curiously, possibly wondering what Eduardo's nearing confession entailed. And instead of durable spandex, he was wearing a simple pair of red trunks. It wasn't fair, really. He filled them out pretty well while Ed's trunks looked like something out of the eighties... "But seriously, it's embarrassing. You guys are just going to laugh."

"Oh, c'mon, Ed!" Virgil exclaimed, "Us? Laugh at _you_? What are the odds of that?"

"I'd say ninety percent," Eduardo mumbled, digging his fingers into the back pockets of his trunks. He cleared his throat, deciding it best to just get it over with, "I - I can't swim."

The four of them quieted down, seemingly unsure how to approach the situation. Eduardo tightened his hold on his back pockets, biting his tongue. This was stupid. He should have just stayed at his dad's today, said that they had planned dinner or something.

"Look, I'll just..." Eduardo's voice trailed, his throat tightening along with the frustration bubbling inside of him, "I'm going to go. I don't want to drag any of you down or - "

"Dude," Tye was the first to speak, eyebrows crooked in mild exasperation, "We can _teach_ you how to swim, you know,"

"Yeah, it's no big deal, man," Virgil shrugged, "If anything, you should worry about _me_ blowing a circuit in the water or something...that probably wouldn't go over well, actually."

"Yeah, what are you doing in the water?" Roy asked, "You should be up here with me so I can have a volleyball partner."

"Volleyball after," Asami insisted, splashing the water hard enough so it hit the bare feet of the duo above her, "Now, Ed learns!"

"Guys, I already said, I don't want to take away time from you," Eduardo persisted, waving his hands in front of his chest, "We haven't been together like this in awhile and I don't want to ruin it."

"Pssh, whatever," Virgil rolled his eyes, "Don't you know us, man? We can make a game out of anything!"

"Teaching someone to swim is no joke," Roy intervened, "_I'll_ teach him. I was just planning on watching you guys anyway."

"Really, Harper?" Eduardo turned to fully face the older boy, interest piqued at the way his eyes flickered down when he tried to make eye contact.

"Yeah," Roy nodded, stare fixed on his cybernetic arm, "One of us should enjoy the water, right? And I can't really swim, considering this thing and all..."

"Okay, it's decided," Tye said, "We'll do our thing for a little while, you guys do yours, and we'll meet up on the sand in an hour for a volleyball match."

"Sounds good," Roy replied before willing himself to look towards Eduardo, "Now, the first lesson of swimming is never be afraid of the water, even in the most unpredictable of circumstances."

"Okay, I got - hey!" And just like that, Roy pushed him off the dock and a moment later, Ed's waist splashed hard against the water. His skin stung as he resurfaced, throwing his arms above the water in a feeble attempt to stay afloat.

"Lesson two: be prepared for anything," Roy smirked, squatting at the edge of the dock, "Including friends being strict coaches."

"Why am I _not_ surprised!" Eduardo exclaimed, doing his best to get the weird water taste out of his mouth, "Idiot, I could die, you know!"

"Says the guy who can teleport out of the water if he wants to," Roy mumbled, rolling his eyes as he wondered just how long it would take Eduardo to remember that particular skill.


End file.
